I unfortunately missed notable Rockies prospects like Chase Dollander, Sean Sullivan, and Cole Carrigg. That being said, there were new and interesting players to grab a look at for all three teams.

Kyle Karros, 3B — Spokane (Rockies)

Karros looks like a ballplayer, with a large, athletic frame. The third baseman was impressive in this look, flashing agility and strong instincts on the dirt.

At the plate, Karros does a great job of hitting it where it’s pitched, with a primarily up-the-middle approach. The feel for contact is strong, and he was able to show off some power with a pair of home runs, neither of them cheap.

Karros was the biggest surprise of this look in Everett. He has big-league tools and is a legit prospect who’s got the look of someone who could potentially lock down a future everyday role.

Lazaro Montes, OF — Everett (Mariners)

Montes is an imposing human being. A large lefty bat with high hands, a large leg kick, and monstrous bat speed, Montes is below-average in a corner outfield spot, and a shift to first base may be inevitable. Though lauded for his power, it’s hasn’t shown up much in games since moving up to High-A.

Montes has struggled as he’s been pounded with fastballs up and in. He’s tried to adjust and cheat inside, but it’s left him out front of secondaries. The swing-and-miss has been prevalent.

Montes doesn’t quite look comfortable in Everett, but he was recently promoted and is still 19. He’ll have to hit, but the bat speed promises a potential major-league slugger, and his production and pedigree speak for itself.

Michael Morales, RHP — Everett

Morales showcases a clean delivery and a good feel for the strike zone. He’s athletic, and there could be more velocity on the way.

Morales will throw the kitchen sink. The fastball sits 90-94 mph, and he’s grabbed 95 mph. His best secondary is a low-80s changeup with late darting life to the arm side and good tunnel. There’s a low-80s sweeper and a slow curve in the mid-70s. He’ll also throw an occasional slider/cutter in the mid-80s.

Morales has yet to establish the fastball’s presence in either start, and his confidence in the pitch might not be there yet. That being said, he can effectively and consistently navigate through lineups and mix up his arsenal. He looks like a future back-end starter with the potential for more if the stuff ticks up. He was just recently promoted to Double-A Arkansas.

Michael Arroyo, 2B — Everett

Arroyo falls under the radar in a very flashy, very young Mariners system flush with hitters, but he shouldn’t. A 19-year-old in High A, Arroyo has had his struggles but hasn’t been swamped so far.

The hit tool and ability to fight in counts flashes. Arroyo crowds the plate a little, so fastballs up and in have been a struggle.

Defensively, Arroyo has a below-average arm, but he’s a strong athlete and runner who makes every play you expect out of a second baseman otherwise.

Tommy Troy — SS, Hillsboro (Diamondbacks)

Recently coming off the injured list, Troy was solid in this look. The results may not pop off the page, he made consistent contact and worked gap-to-gap efficiently, and the contact was often loud.

A plus runner and good athlete, Troy wasn’t challenged much at shortstop, but he made all the plays he was supposed to. The defensive skillset would work well at second or third base if a transition is necessary.

Gino Groover — 3B, Hillsboro

Just coming off the IL alongside Troy, Groover’s a bat whose game is centered around contact. He was aggressive and consistently put the ball in play, though it didn’t result in ideal contact and hits.

Even though the power wasn’t quite there, it was a brief look, he’s a big guy, and coming off a broken wrist, which can hamper power for a while. Groover played third base, but a shift to a corner is feasible.

Alfred Morillo — RHP, Hillsboro

Morillo is a relief prospect who sat mid-90s with his fastball in this look alongside a mid-80s gyro slider. Already grabbing 97 mph with some life, the stuff plays in a big-league bullpen.

Morillo struck out the side in his first outing, but he struggled in his second appearances where the strike-throwing deteriorated.

Roman Angelo — RHP, Hillsboro

Angelo was a starter for Hillsboro who went seven innings despite below-average control.

His stuff jumped off the page, with a fastball up to 97 mph, often in the mod-90s, though the velocity fluctuated. His ability to throw strikes with it was inconsistent, but he got it in the zone enough to overwhelm hitters with pure velocity.

Angelo flashed a horizontal mid-80s changeup and sweeping cutter, though the command of both offerings was below average. The changeup projects as the better offering of the two.

Angelo’s already 24 years old, and his profile is likely set for the bullpen with the big velocity and some effort in his operation. He profiles as a potential seventh-inning type in the big leagues but will need to find more strikes to get there.

The post Prospect notes on Rockies, D-Backs, Mariners, led by Troy, Arroyo, Karros appeared first on Future Stars Series.

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Glad we’re on the same page.

So, when the Portland Sea Dogs came to town, a team that features three consensus Top 100 prospects in the game — and that’s three of the first 52 in FSS Plus analyst Joe Doyle’s preseason rankings — we sure weren’t going to miss it. Between Matthew Lugo, Nick Yorke, Eddinson Paulino, an injured Blaze Jordan and others, there’s plenty more to watch than just the names you know…but we focused on those top three Boston prospects when the Sea Dogs came to Bridgewater, NJ to face the Somerset Patriots in the Double-A version of the Boston-Bronx rivalry

Marcelo Mayer, SS — Boston Red Sox (FSS Plus No. 1 Prospect)

Mayer went No. 4 overall in 2021 behind only Henry Davis, Jack Leiter and Jackson Jobe. Then a prep shortstop, the now six-foot-three, 188-pounder has hit everywhere he’s been in his steady climb up Boston’s system, now including Portland after struggling there last season, likely due to a shoulder injury he tried to play through.

The tools are there besides perhaps running — he typically grades out to be below average on the basepaths — and he’s shown that he can handle shortstop for now, although there seems to be an increasing belief among evaluators that he’ll eventually find himself at third. The bat will likely be what gets him to the big leagues and keeps him there, as he’s shown a propensity to not only hit for average, but also for power, particularly to the pull side gap as a lefty bat. The 21-year-old has been a doubles machine throughout his career, but particularly this season, where he’s already got 16 of them in his first 159 Double-A plate appearances.

It isn’t if, but when for Mayer…seeing a promotion to Triple-A around the All-Star break certainly wouldn’t be shocking, if not earlier. After that? An MLB ETA of 2025 would seem to be in play.

Roman Anthony, OF — Boston Red Sox (No. 2)

In some circles, Anthony is considered the slightly better prospect over Mayer, although most have Anthony as Boston’s second-best. Still just 20 years old, the six-foot-two, 200-pounder was a steal at No. 79 in the 2022 MLB Draft, and there’s a little bit of everything in his profile.

There’s a ton to like here; consistent hard contact, the ability to potentially stay in center field, and some power that’s been plus in the past. It hasn’t been a big year from a production standpoint just yet; .241 with just three homers in his first 133 at-bats, but remember he’s very young for the level. The Red Sox will almost surely keep him in Portland for the majority of the year, if not all of it, as he gains valuable experience against some players further along in their development process.

Kyle Teel, C — Boston Red Sox (No. 3)

Taken at No. 14 overall just last year, Teel is already in Double-A. A well-rounded and polished college catcher out of Virginia, the Ridgewood, NJ native put up some monster numbers at the NCAA levels and actually got to Portland at the tail end of last season.

Has the athleticism and the arm to keep him behind the dish, and enough bat to where he’ll be in the lineup one way or the other should he run into some issues with having to share the catching position at the big league level. Still only 22 years old, the six-foot, 190-pound backstop is likely on track to see Fenway at some point next season as well.

The post Marcelo Mayer, Roman Anthony headline loaded Double-A Red Sox team appeared first on Future Stars Series.

The main attraction, however, was to be Junior Caminero, who is No. 1 on FSS Plus analyst Joe Doyle’s Top 30 Tampa Bay Rays prospects rankings, and No. 2 overall in his preseason Top 100 MLB prospects list, one that has Baz at No. 77 and another Bulls standout, recently sent down Curtis Mead, at No. 79.

Caminero, however, wasn’t in the starting lineup…but, we were in luck. Another rehabber, Brandon Lowe, was pulled after just one inning and one at-bat due to what the team called precautionary reasons — likely due to some scattered light showers that hit the area shortly after first pitch, but did not delay the game in any way — so we got to see one of the top prospects in the game after all.

So, what did we see? Who else stood out?

Junior Caminero, INF — FSS Plus Tampa Bay Rays No. 1 Prospect

Caminero rocketed through the Rays system last year, starting in High-A Bowling Green and getting all the way to the big leagues at just 20 years old, skipping Triple-A entirely at the time. He hit .235 with a homer and seven RBI in 36 plate appearances, and also made his MLB Postseason debut, getting into both games of the team’s Wild Card Series loss to the eventual champion, Texas Rangers.

Listed at six-foot-one and 157 pounds, he seems significantly more bulked up than what those numbers would allow, and also seems to be suffering from the affects of an early season quad injury that knocked him out for two weeks. He wasn’t moving as well as he had in the past on the basepaths, and also wasn’t able to show all of his range at third base…he got through several routine defensive chances just fine, but threw a ball away on his first chance, seemingly hesitating a bit on trying to finish what would have been a 5-3 DP ball.

Caminero is lauded for his bat speed, and it showed on Friday; a somewhat routine grounder back up the middle sailed back up the box at a still-impressive 98 miles per hour, and he showed an approach at the plate indicative of someone looking to do damage with every pitch he sees. A consensus top five prospect in the game, and at worst listed at two or three for most, he’ll likely continue to develop in the minors for the majority of this season.

Curtis Mead, INF — Tampa Bay Rays No. 6

Mead is another example of the Rays development process gone right; the Rays made a deal with the Philadelphia Phillies for him after the 2019 season, and the track had been upward ever since. He hit the Arizona Fall League in 2021, was named to the Futures Game in 2022, and the Australian made his much-anticipated big league debut the following year in an early-August call-up.

A versatile infielder who can play all four positions — yes, he played a little shortstop in the bigs last year — the 23-year-old made his first MLB Opening Day roster this year, but struggled at the plate, hitting .218 in 94 PA’s before getting sent down to Durham the second week of May. As seen below, the six-foot, 171-pounder smashed a 104.1 MPH off the bat hard single to center field in his only hit of the night, although it’s also been a sluggish start with the Bulls as well as he continues to try to find his game.

Shane Baz, RHP — Tampa Bay Rays No. 5

Once one of the brightest pitching prospects in all of baseball, Baz saw the end of his 2022 season and all of last year taken from him after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Now 24, the power righty is still working his way back slowly to get back to the big leagues, and he still seems to be early in that process if Friday is any indication.

Baz faced 11 Sounds batters and walked five on Friday, using mostly a four-seamer that sat between 93-96 and touched 98 as well as a high 80’s slider. He needed 59 pitches to get through 1 2/3 innings, and just 29 were strikes. While results in a rehab appearance largely don’t matter, he’ll need to continue to improve his command as he works to keep building up his pitch count for that much-anticipated MLB return.

Ruben Cardenas, OF/INF — Tampa Bay Rays N/A

At 26 years old and still without any big league service time, Cardenas has largely been ignored in a very impressive farm system from top to bottom. But, the career .272 hitter in the minors impressed on Friday with a 392 foot homer to left field that left the bat at 101.3 MPH and seemed like it was just a somewhat effortless flick of the bat against a very strong starter in Rodriguez. In another org., perhaps Cardenas would have already received an opportunity for his big league debut. With the Rays, he remains something of a depth piece who’s on the precipice of that first chance.

Justin Sterner, RHP — Tampa Bay Rays N/A

It’s cutters, sweepers, and four-seamers for Sterner, who has never been on the Top 30 radar. But, the one-time undrafted free agent out of BYU was touching 95 in a very effective relief outing of Baz, and is pitching to a strong 0.934 WHIP this season while striking out 25 batters in 20 1/3 innings. Historically, his numbers at 3A haven’t been fantastic, including over a large, full-season sample size just last year, but the 27-year-old, who is also still looking for his MLB debut, could pitch his way into consideration for that if he can sustain this early start.

The post Caminero, Mead, rehabbing Baz making noise for Triple-A Rays appeared first on Future Stars Series.

Jeferson Quero, who is currently No. 3 in FSS Plus analyst Joe Doyle’s Top 30 Milwaukee Brewers prospects list, is out with a shoulder injury, and Tyler Black (No. 4) didn’t even get through his first AB on Friday before fouling a ball off his leg and leaving the game after just one half inning.

That does not, however, mean there wasn’t anything left to see, particularly with some strong arms saving the day on the visiting side.

Carlos Rodriguez, RHP, Milwaukee Brewers FSS Plus Top Prospect No. 11

Facing rehabbing big leaguer Shane Baz, it was Rodriguez who was inarguably the more impressive of the two on Friday. The Nicaraguan-born righty who was taken in the sixth round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of Florida SW State College was far better than his numbers entering the night would have indicated; he picked up the win in holding a strong Durham lineup to just one run over six innings, allowing just one walk and four hits while striking out six.

Four-seamers, cutters, sinkers, changeups, sliders…you name it, Rodriguez not only had it in his arsenal on Friday night, but was commanding it well. He was sitting between 92-94 miles per hour on the radar gun with the 4SFB and touching 95 and truly made just one mistake on the evening in allowing a long home run off the bat of Ruben Cardenas. Just out of Doyle’s Top 10 in the org. at No. 11, if the six-foot, 206-pounder can build off of this start to get his season turned around, he may be on track to reach the big leagues for the first time by the end of the year.

Abner Uribe, RHP — Milwaukee Brewers N/A

Uribe is a known commodity who made very recent headlines for his role in a benches-clearing incident in the big leagues that earned him a six-game suspension he’ll need to serve on his next recall. The 23-year-old righty made his big league debut last year, and dazzled for the majority of the time, pitching to just a 1.76 ERA over his first 30 2/3 MLB innings, whiffing 39 along the way. How does he do it?

Abner Uribe throws hard. Very, very hard. He hit 99.6 MPH twice on Friday and was solely a sinker-slider guy over the course of this outing, keeping hitters off-balance with a breaker that routinely crossed at 85-86. While he struggle to find the same success of last season in the bigs this year, there’s little doubt that as a true power arm, he’ll be back in “The Show” sooner rather than later.  He’s famously touched 103 MPH in the past in the big leagues, recording the fastest pitch in Brewers franchise history.

Owen Miller, INF — Milwaukee Brewers N/A

At 27 years old and with exactly 1,000 big-league plate appearances, Owen Miller’s prospect days are long behind him. A third-rounder out of Illinois State back in 2018, Miller is on his third org. and has extensive MLB service time with the latter two; he played in a career-high 130 major-league games for the Cleveland Guardians in 2022 and got into 90 more with Milwaukee last year, not to mention seven more this season as well.

Miller is putting up numbers he hasn’t since his debut season in pro ball thus far for the Sounds, hitting .342 in 21 Triple-A games while drawing ten walks in just 91 PA’s. Hoping to shed a 4A label, he’s currently an interesting veteran asset for the Brewers, but could also be a target for a club looking for a big-league ready bench option via small trade.

The post Rodriguez, flamethrowing Uribe highlight Triple-A Brewers arms appeared first on Future Stars Series.

Beyond those two, there weren’t any impact prospects, guys who would be Top 10 prospects in either system. But there are always players worth writing up.

Brandyn Garcia, LHP — Everett AquaSox

Garcia started the Thursday game for the AquaSox and really popped off the page with high-end velocity and breaking stuff.

The 6-foot-4 lefty showcased a robust three-pitch mix. The fastball was 92-96 MPH with heavy bore, and hitters pounded it into the dirt. His primary secondary was a sharp sweeper at 80-83 MPH that he threw with conviction, and he mixed in a good slider in the upper 80s.

Garcia works exclusively east-west. While the command was strong in the first two frames, it quickly devolved past the third inning. He hit two batters, walked another, and threw multiple pitches to the backstop. He only threw 66 pitches before getting removed after the 5th inning.

The stuff is real, but as a physically maxed, 24-year-old who’s mostly been a bullpen piece, I expect that Garcia goes to the bullpen. as a potential high-leverage lefty with two above-average breaking balls and upper 90s velocity.

Ty Cummings, RHP — Everett AquaSox

Cummings started the Friday game for the AquaSox, and the righty showcased an intriguing four-pitch mix that pops on a spreadsheet, certainly.

The righty worked 90-93 MPH with two fastballs with tons of run — a true sinker, and a four-seamer on which he gets more lift. His low-3/4 slot gives a horizontal angle that makes his gyro slider appear to have more sweep than it does, and it was his go-to weapon between 81-84 MPH. He also mixed in a very intriguing upper-80s changeup with heavy fade.

The control was good-not-great, and while Cummings does have some metric darling traits (notably high spin), he lacks standout tools on the mound. Maybe he could unlock a little more velocity and fastball value allowing him to occupy the fifth spot in a rotation.

Ben Williamson, 3B — Everett AquaSox

Williamson is a fun watch, a gritty ballplayer with the ability to make flashy plays on defense at third base.

He’s not incredibly athletic or rangy, but he’s twitchy, has strong defensive instincts, and isn’t afraid to get his jersey dirty. However, he’s just an average runner, and the arm doesn’t inspire confidence. The defensive prowess could play at multiple positions (and maybe play a bit everywhere in a utility role).

At the plate, Williamson underwent some notable swing changes, as shown below:

Pre-Draft:

This Season:

As you can see, he lowered his hands, toned down the leg kick, and is more upright in his stance. This allows him to cover areas of the zone he struggled with previously, and remain more balanced in the entire operation. He’s now making far more contact.

However, more contact seems to have the trade-off of less impact. He’s now more gap-to-gap and struggled to hit the ball with authority in this look. He only has one home run in a very hitter-friendly park and league in 2024.

Troy Taylor, RP — Everett Aquasox

Taylor has big-league arm talent coming out of the bullpen.

He has a fastball in the mid-90s with loads of run and, and a changeup at 87-88 MPH that tunneled off the fastball immaculately. Taylor has a really quick arm and mimics arm speed on the pitch very well.

He also mixed in a below-average sweeping slider between 83-84 MPH.

There’s a fair bit of effort and violence at release to have qualms about, and it’s a reliever’s command, but Taylor stayed in and around the zone in this look. He could potentially occupy a middle relief role in the majors by 2025.

Andrew Pintar, CF — Hillsboro Hops

Pintar was another fun watch, an above-average athlete with plus speed who’s got tools to buy into.

Pintar has a quick bat and utilizes his speed well, both making contact and tapping into some power. He hit a home run right after a hustle triple in the second game. He made consistent contact and didn’t chase much, though he could be too passive.

Funko Field isn’t a great place to try and measure outfield defense given the lack of outfield to cover. He did have a couple rough reads, but his speed let him correct.

Jack Hurley, OF — Hillsboro Hops

Hurley was the Diamondback’s 3rd round pick in 2023, and there are plenty of athletic tools to buy.

Hurley showed his upside by blasting two fastballs over the fence in the second game I watched, and his speed was on display multiple times on the base paths. However, he also showcased an immature approach that doesn’t project well long-term.

Hurley went down whiffing on three secondaries out of the zone multiple times. He struggled to adjust to secondary stuff and do any kind of damage to them.

The upside and athleticism is still there. However, the swing-and-miss put into jeopardy whether he could succeed in a full-time role at the major league level.

Also, Hillsboro had some other arms that piqued my interest. Kyle Amendt is an over-the-top reliever who sits low-90s with carry and two nice breaking balls.

Ricardo Yan is a sidewinding righty who got up to 92 MPH. He worked east-west with a sweeping slider in the 72-75 MPH range and an occasional 80 MPH changeup.

Finally, Peniel Otano got up to 95 MPH out of the bullpen. It was a straight fastball, but he has a 60-grade slider/cutter that could carry him to the big leagues.

The post Scouting Diamondbacks, Mariners High-A affiliates appeared first on Future Stars Series.

Adam Macko, LHP — FSS Plus Toronto Blue Jays No. 20 prospect

One of the standouts all the way back in 2018 at the second-ever International Week, when he was playing for his native Slovakia on the World Team, Macko has become a commodity in pro ball, and was a key part of the return in a trade that sent him to Toronto from Seattle prior to the 2023 season.

Still just 23 years old, Macko wasn’t at his best when we caught up with him on Thursday, but still managed to limit damage over his three innings of work, sitting 91-93 and touching 94 miles per hour with his fastball while still flashing a plus curveball that crossed the plate consistently between 70-73. Macko struck out three batters in his three frames, including consensus Top 100 prospect Spencer Jones and a rehabbing Jon Berti, and has allowed just six extra-base hits all year.

Josh Kasevich, INF — Blue Jays No. 16

Kasevich went at No. 60 in the 2022 MLB Draft out of Oregon as an advanced college bat, and has moved at a one level per season pace since, debuting at Double-A at the start of the season. Most evaluators have him as a future utility-type player at the next level, as his profile is led by a hit tool that universally grades out the highest among what he’s got to offer.

The 23-year-old showed his elite bat-to-ball skills during our visit with several hits in quality at-bats in which he managed the zone well, but also offers little in the way of true power. Makes the plays he needs to make in the field, but has exclusively played at short this year after splitting time between that spot and third in High-A in 2023.

Alan Roden, OF — Blue Jays No. 11

One round after the much more-heralded Kasevich, Roden went to the Blue Jays at No. 98 in the same Draft and has actually moved at a faster pace, getting to New Hampshire midway through last season; he hit .317 between High-A and Double-A last year, and moved his way up quite a few prospect rankings after staying somewhat under the radar at Creighton.

Another big bat-to-ball guy, Roden draws strong reviews for his arm as well, which we didn’t really get to see unleashed in the corner outfield spots. There’s more power here from the left side than Kasevich has from the right, although likely not much, and evaluators will tell you that his swing mechanics will make that more difficult to get to anyway.

The post Macko, Kasevich, Roden shine on Double-A Blue Jays roster appeared first on Future Stars Series.

Two of those six came to this writer’s neck of the woods this past week when the Bowling Green Hot Rods with appearances by Xavier Isaac (67) and Brayden Taylor (80), but unfortunately Taylor didn’t play in our look thanks to what appears to be nothing more than a day off.

With a relatively dominant pitching performance by the opposing Hudson Valley Renegades, there isn’t too much in the way to share video-wise from this trip, but we do have some Isaac BP below for you, plus a long look at one of the Rays more higher-upside arms, Dominican-born righty Yoniel Curet.

Xavier Isaac, 1B — (No. 4 FSS Plus prospect)

Isaac was the Rays first-rounder back in 2022, and has done little since then to alter his stock as a consensus Top 100 prospect in the game. He’s surprisingly athletic for his 6-foot-4, 240-pound listed size and typically draws solid grades as a defender as well, although he’s obviously limited to first base given his frame. His profile is one that, as you’d expect, is led by the power tool, and there’s even more value there as a lefty bat.

Yoniel Curet, RHP (No. 8)

Curet is on the Rays 40-man roster and has reportedly been up to 98 MPH in the past on the radar gun. On a colder day earlier in the season in New York state, it was more 93-95, but he still showed his plus slider at times that’s helped carry him up the prospect charts ever since signing as an IFA back in 2019.

Chandler Simpson, OF (No. 19)

Simpson is universally considered to have 80-speed. He’s also universally considered to have 20 power. His stat line this season is shocking, with not a single extra-base hit; he’s hitting .383 with five RBI and already has 18 stolen bases. There’s a “just get on base however it looks” approach here for the former Georgia Tech star, as he knows it’s his legs that’ll make the difference.

Cooper Kinney, INF

Kinney is, in some circles a Top 30 Rays prospect, albeit not at FSS Plus. The No. 34 pick back in 2021, the infielder is a more well-rounded player who most considered to be a bat-first profile. Most seem him moving off of the middle of the infield to perhaps a corner outfield spot given a fringy arm and below-average speed, so he’ll need to keep hitting to continue to move up the ladder and force a decision on where he’ll end up in the field.

The post Isaac, Curet, Simpson star on intriguing High-A Rays squad appeared first on Future Stars Series.

Carson Palmquist, LHP  (No. 14)

Palmquist and Trystan Vrieling provided one of the better starting pitching duels in the minors thus far on Friday night at TD Bank Ballpark; Palmquist allowed just one walk and four hits through six scoreless innings while striking out a whopping ten Somerset Patriots batters.

Drafted out of the University of Miami in the third round back in 2022, the 22-year-old lefty has ascended through the system quickly. He used a funky delivery and lower slot to sit between 91-93 on the radar gun, and kept hitters off-balance with a plus curveball that crossed the plate between 75-79.

Juan Mejia, RHP

Mejia was extremely fascinating to watch this past week but isn’t exactly a secret anymore. The 23-year-old righty reliever is on the Rockies 40-man roster and was also at the Arizona Fall League at the tail end of 2023 as he’s continuing his climb to the big leagues.

While it’s been a slow start for him statistically, the stuff is there; he flashed 96-98 on the gun on Tuesday with a wipeout slider. The stuff wasn’t quite as sharp on Friday, but he still blew through a 1-2-3 frame with ease.

Adael Amador, INF (No. 1)

Amador emerged as the consensus top prospect in Colorado’s system after he sailed through three levels last year as a 20-year-old. It’s early, but that progress has come to a bit of a halt. Listed at six foot and 200 pounds, the frame feels smaller than that, and he’s struggled against Double-A pitching to start the year, hitting just .114 in his first 35 AB’s. He does have eight stolen bases already, however, and there’s a lot of upside here as a switch hitter.

Benny Montgomery, OF (No. 12)

Drafted at No. 8 overall back in 2021, Montgomery has someone who stayed under the true top-tier prospect radar. That may change. The 21-year-old is off to a solid start in his Double-A debut with Hartford, hitting .283 with two homers and ten RBI over his first three weeks, and showed some solid tools during his trip to Somerset; he barreled up several balls during the series and handled both corner outfield spots with relative ease.

Sterlin Thompson, OF/INF (No. 5)

A comp round pick at No. 31 overall in 2022, Thompson is proving to be a steal thus far for Colorado, flashing strong bat-to-ball skills with significant power. He missed a home run by inches in Somerset and settled for a triple, and played both first base and corner outfield spots thanks to a bat that’s kept him in the lineup. He’s a big, 6-foot-3, 200-pound left-handed hitter with some upside.

Zac Veen, OF (No. 6)

Veen missed a few games during the series thanks to feeling a bit under the weather, but still made an impact reflective of someone who’s finally through an injury-riddled 2023 campaign. Still just 22 years old, the 2020 first-rounder delivered with a two-hit day on Tuesday, including a pull side double that showed his seemingly effortless speed.

Yanquiel Fernandez, OF (No. 3)

Another premium lefty bat in a system that seems to have more than a few, the Cuban-born outfielder showed significant power numbers over the last two years to sail through the lower levels of the Rockies org., hitting 46 between 2022 and 2023. This year? Just one thus far, but it came in Somerset when he showed oppo power with a homer that just got out of the yard down the left-field line.

Warming Bernabel, INF (No. 24)

Bernabel lost his 40-man roster status just before the start of this season when he was designated for assignment, but remained in the system as one of their second or third-tier prospects. Still just 21 years old, he’s had a slow start to his year hitting just .200 over the first three weeks. He went hitless in four of the five games he played versus Somerset.

The post Veen, Montgomery, Palmquist lead loaded Rockies Double-A squad appeared first on Future Stars Series.

Kyle Carr and Moises Chace were set to make up a prospect-heavy pitching matchup, with the latter arm for the Aberdeen Ironbirds still a bit under the radar despite a hot start to his 2024 season.

And two? A first look at Enrique Bradfield, Jr., last year’s first-round pick for the Baltimore Orioles who most have as having two 80 tools as both a runner and a defender in the outfield.

Unfortunately, those looks were pretty short.

Enrique Bradfield, Jr., OF (No.6)

Bradfield is, no doubt, a potential game-changer, and his impact will come down to how much he can get on base. We got to see just two at-bats before he was removed from the game for precautionary reasons after a hard tag on a play at the plate, but his speed particularly pops from the left side.

He’s as aggressive with his legs as he should be with those kinds of wheels, and essentially singlehandedly generated a run on a hustle double, a steal of third, and then scored a run on the aforementioned play at the plate on a routine ground ball despite the infield being in. He’ll go as far as his bat can take him, and his legs will do the rest.

Moisés Chace, RHP

After a fairly pedestrian start to his pro career in the Orioles system that was comprised of two years in Low-A Delmarva, Chace quickly made some noise with 15 K’s over just eight scoreless innings of work in his first two outings of the season, allowing just three hits.

Anticipation was high on Saturday to see just how he was doing it, but command issues on his offspeed offerings plagued him through what turned out to be a short outing.

Chace walked six in three innings of work and also gave up his first runs of the year, including a solo homer off a fastball by Roc Riggio. He was most effective when working off that fastball, and was sitting between 92-96 with what appeared to be a pretty free and easy delivery to get there.

Still only 20 years old. There’s not much projectability on the body, but I can see the stuff taking a tick up as he continues to learn how to pitch against better hitters.

Mac Horvath, INF — (No. 12)

Horvath went No. 53 overall just last year out of North Carolina, and remains somewhat under the radar even despite that lofty status given what Baltimore has at the upper levels of their system. Horvath will get there in due time. He showed some power with a fairly long home run on Saturday, and also handled third base quite well for Aberdeen.

The Orioles have used him all over thus far — he’s played second, third, left field and right field since being drafted, and also played in center for the Tarheels when needed — and he’s proven to be a valuable, interchangeable piece for them thus far.

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